How to prepare for your session

Try to have a good night's sleep and not drink the night before.

Iron you clothes. Little details like a cease in your shirt may not be noticeable in 'real-life', but become noticeable in a photograph.

Wear some makeup to bring out your features, the camera tends to wash people out slightly. If you plan to use the images professionally (on your website for example), you could even have your hair and makeup professionally done before your session. I can personally recommend Justine O, or Julz from Made You Blush, but you may already know a hair and makeup artist, or you could ask friends for recommendations.

Bring a hairbrush. I generally advise women to wear their hair down or partly down. If you wear it in a ponytail it can look like you have no hair from some angles. Also, I generally advise not to try out a completely new hairstyle before your shoot.

Make sure you are looking generally 'well-groomed'. For example, ladies; pluck your eyebrows and have your roots done, gents; make sure you are freshly shaven (unless you're going for the beardy look). If we are shooting in your home, workspace, or studio, make sure it's looking 'well-groomed' too!

If you commonly wear both contacts and glasses, consider wearing contacts. This will mean that we don't have to deal with glare on your glasses. If you prefer to wear glasses, we will of course work around this.

When choosing your outfit, have a think about the image you are wanting to portray (professional? creative? casual?) and where the portrait will be used (website? Linkedin? Facebook?) It can be a good idea to bring a few different tops so we have a choice. Simple clothes tend to look more timeless. Fitted clothing tends to look better as baggy or flowing clothing can make you look bigger than you are. Mid-tones tend to photograph better, and it's best to avoid all black or all white (black and white together or with other colours is generally fine though). See below for some more detailed information on what to wear.

It can be a great idea to organise a friend or two to be 'pretend' clients. They would usually only need to stick around for about 30 minutes.

It's also a great idea to bring in some 'props' for the shoot that relate to your business and brand. Very simple things like books, coffee cups, plants, magazines, and so on, can create lovely, simple images that can be used on social media and on certain pages on your website.

Have a think about whether you have a side that you prefer to be photographed. If you're unsure, research has shown the left side of the face is generally perceived to be more attractive than the right side. People actually research this kind of thing, check it out here.

Have a think about whether there a part of your face or body that you generally dislike in photographs, and I will do my best to minimise this. Please don't be embarrassed to tell me, we all have these insecurities! For me it's my double chin and teeth that are too big for my face. If you're interested in learning how to minimise a double chin in photographs, have a look at this video by renowned headshot photographer Peter Hurley. It changed my life.

What to wear

Figuring out what to wear to a session is often the thing that causes the most angst among my clients, but it's easy to get it right. To help you along, I've listed my top dos and don'ts.

Don't wear clothes with brand names, logos, wording, pictures, cartoons or graphics (excepting, of course, businesses that have a uniform and/or clothing with your businesses branding) . When we see writing or graphics in an image, our eye goes start to that. Not only will these kinds of things date your images really fast, they are really distracting, taking attention away from the most important thing in the image (you!)

Do discuss with your team the colours, tones and level of clothing formality that match or compliment your brand colours and the look and feel of your brand. It's a good idea to have a discussion with your team about clothing and colours to make sure everyone is on the same page. If your brand colours are pastel, and someone turns up wearing a red top, the images will look out of balance, and also won't work well with your branding. Same if your brand-feel is casual and relaxed, but you're wearing a suit. Think about what your want your brand and business to communication to clients (friendliness, professionalism, creativity etc), and choose clothing that represent those ideas.

Do wear simple patterns (if wearing patterns). Simple patterns like thin stripes, small polka dots, and delicate floral patterns can look great if they fit in with the colour scheme of your brand.

Do wear clothes that make you feel good about your body. Use clothing to accentuate your favourite features and 'hide' the parts of your body you dislike. For example, wear sleeves if you don't like your arms.

Do try out your outfit before the shoot, particularly if it's a new outfit. You don't want to get to the shoot and realise that your new top is itchy, or your new pants don't fit right and you have to keep tugging at them. It's really important to feel comfortable in what you're wearing, or your discomfort will show through in the photographs.

Don't wear clothing that is too baggy or ill-fitting. Clothing that is obviously baggy will generally make people look much larger than they are.

Do check your outfit in the mirror head to toe before you leave, or have your partner/a friend do this for you. Things to think about: Does this need an iron? Are there any distracting stains? Can I see my underwear through my top? This is important! I can't tell you how many times people have turned up wearing a top that is slightly see-through and shows underwear, or shows up sweat stains obviously, and they are always disappointed that they didn't check this when they get their images back.

Don't stress too much about what to wear! It's a good idea to plan out what you are going to wear, but please don't stress about it, or go out and spend a lot of money on new clothes (unless you want to of course). Remember that the best thing you can wear is a smile, and that these tips are just suggestions, not unbreakable rules.

outfit ideas

pre-session CHECKLIST

Have I paid my retainer to hold my date?

Have I filled in the questionnaire on this page?

Have I booked hair and make up (if necessary?)

Have I planned my outfit?

Have I asked a friend to come in and be my 'pretend' client (if appropriate)?

Have I thought about the pages on my website where I might need images, and have I thought about the kinds of images that might be appropriate for these pages?

Have I thought about some social media/blog posts I would like to make, and have I thought about the kinds of images that might be appropriate for these posts?

Have I thought about the props I might like to bring in to the shoot?

Have I booked the spaces in my office where we might want to take photos?

Have I de-cluttered any spaces where we might like to take photos?

Have I thought about the other locations I might like to shoot in and have I asked permission to photograph in those locations if necessary (such as your local cafe)?

Have I sent Bree any relevant branding documents (information about brand colours etc) that might help her to plan the shoot?

Important information

If your session is outside (in a park, on the beach etc) is very important that you arrive on time, or even 10 minutes early. I typically conduct outdoor sessions at sunrise or sunset, when the light is the best, and if you are late it will mean that we may not enough time to get a good selection of images before the light either becomes unflattering or disappears.

I like to catch candid moments. Sometimes those moments have to be 'set up', so I might ask you to think about something, or tell me a story, or repeat a movement. Sometimes this will feel awkward but please trust me!

Know that almost everyone feels awkward in front of the camera. The best advice I can give is to try to relax, have a bit of fun and don't worry about whether we're getting good images. Leave it all to me!

Please note that the final images I deliver to you will be selected by me. An important, dare I say essential, part of a photographer's work is to edit down the images from a session to the final, best images. I will take many images during the session, and while these images help me to create the final product by allowing me to test the light, exposure, poses, facial expressions and so on, they are not the final product themselves. It's very important to note that I don't release any images not included with the final set of images in your gallery. They were neither created nor intended to be the final product, they have simply enabled me to work out issues that arose to ensure you get the quality images you receive.